Food & Nutrition: Culinary Techniques, Diets & Metabolic Health

Nutritional health is achieved through the therapeutic use of whole foods, safe culinary preparation, and understanding the metabolic impacts of specific dietary frameworks and ingredients.

sandwich of rye bread with avocado and goat cheese

Avocados for Weight Loss & Gain

Avocados are a nutritious food, providing heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper and manganese, as well as most of the B vitamins and vitamins C, E and K.

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Dried banana fruit

How Healthy Is Freeze-Dried Fruit?

Freeze-dried fruit is similar to dried fruit, because it has been dehydrated, but it has a crunchy texture. The nutrients that freeze-dried fruit contains offer several health benefits, making it a good addition to a well-balanced diet. Try it on cereal or oatmeal, in trail mix or on its own.

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strawberry smoothie

Are Fruit Smoothies Good for You?

The simplest fruit smoothies require just a blender, a splash of liquid and some fruit. To drink a smoothie in place of a meal, you'll need to add some protein and fat. Whether a smoothie is good for you depends on the ingredients it contains and the portion your serve yourself.

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What Are the Health Benefits of Jalapeno Peppers?

Jalapeno peppers provide more than a kick of flavor to your nachos and tacos. These small, fiery green peppers provide multiple vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support a healthy body. Jalapenos may also help you manage your weight.

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Close-up of a bay leaf

The Effects of Eating a Fresh Bay Leaf

Bay leaves, which grow on the sweet bay or laurel tree, were used in ancient Rome to make laurel wreaths. Today, the bay leaf is more often found as a seasoning agent in stews or soups than on someone’s head.

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dairy dessert with chocolate sauce and strawberries

Importance of Sugar in the Human Body

Sugar has a poor reputation as being an enemy when it comes to creating a nutritious and well-balanced diet. The fact is, however, that you wouldn't be able to survive without sugar. Your body relies on small amounts of sugar to function properly.

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freshly squeezed lemon juice in small bowl

Expired Lemon Juice and Diarrhea

If you drink expired lemon juice and develop diarrhea, you might have food poisoning. Food poisoning occurs when you ingest a food or beverage that is contaminated. Lemon juice is used as a common ingredient in many dishes and desserts, and if you use expired lemon juice in cooking you can contaminate the entire meal.

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Dangers of Raw Red Kidney Beans

While many foods are perfectly fine to eat right off the vine or out of the ground, red kidney beans are not one of them. Though many raw beans contain the toxin Phytohaemagglutinin, also called kidney bean lectin, kidney beans contain the highest toxin levels.

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Valerian root, Valerianae radix

Dosage of Valerian Root to Help Sleep

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep through the night is a problem that can severely affect your ability to function normally during the day. If you experience recurrent sleep problems, talk with your medical provider about using a natural herb called valerian root to help you sleep.

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Sources of omega 3 fatty acids

Recommended Fat Grams Per Day for Women

Women have some flexibility in the amount of fat they consume, so it's OK to customize a diet plan that works best for your lifestyle. If you’re on a weight-loss diet, aim for the least amount of fat.

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Coconut Milk

The Health Benefits of Coconut Milk

Coconuts and coconut milk have traditionally gotten a bad rap due to its high saturated fat levels. However, island populations around the world have used the fruit's meat juice, milk and oil in everything from cooking to disease prevention.

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yogurt with berry and muesli

Gastritis & Yogurt

If you're experiencing upper-abdominal discomfort that includes nausea or vomiting, you may have a digestive condition known as gastritis. While a bland diet is often recommended to help someone with gastritis manage symptoms, some research indicates that including yogurt with friendly bacteria may also help.

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African couple eating takeout food

Nutrition in Chinese Takeout

Traditional Chinese cuisine is rife with fresh vegetables, lean proteins and aromatic herbs, but when you order takeout in America, you’re also likely to get an excess of sodium, plenty of fat and oversized portions.

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Fresh soybeans.

The Health Benefits of Edamame

Edamame are immature, green soybeans still in the pod. Available fresh or frozen, edamame can be boiled whole, then shelled and eaten as a snack or added to stir fries, soups or salads. Edamame have much of the same nutritional benefits as other soy products such as tofu or soy milk.

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Can Diabetics Drink Soy Milk?

If you have diabetes, you need to be careful about what you eat to keep your blood glucose levels under control and to reduce your risk of diabetes-related complications. Soy milk, particularly unsweetened soy milk, can be a healthy part of a diabetic's diet. As with all foods, moderation is key.

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Girl with cookie dough on baking tray

The Effects of Eating Raw Cookie Dough

While some people crave raw cookie dough more than baked cookies, consuming raw cookie dough is associated with a number of health concerns. Raw food products can harbor bacteria that can cause you to become ill and experience intestinal distress, vomiting or kidney failure.

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Closed Up Image of Some Dried Seaweed on a Wooden Surface, High Angle View

Difference Between Iodine and Potassium Iodide

Iodine is an essential mineral. Adult men and women should have approximately 150 micrograms of iodine each day, and most people in the United States easily obtain this much through their diet, says the National Institutes of Health. By contrast, potassium iodide is a man-made salt compound of iodine.

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Mother and daughter squeezing oranges for juice

The Advantages of Freshly Squeezed Juice

Drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice is not only refreshing and delicious, but provides numerous health benefits that often get lost in the processing that juices in jugs or cartons undergo.

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salmon grilled with dill

Healthiest Ways to Cook Fish

Choosing fish for your entree is smart -- until it's salted, breaded and fried. For the healthiest fish preparation, start by selecting a sustainable fillet. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch notes U.S. catfish, Alaskan salmon, U.S.-farmed rainbow trout and Pacific halibut as some of the top options.

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